Apparatus for treating articles



April 1948. .E. R. ZADEMACH EI'IAL ,1

APPARATUS FOR TREATING ARTICLES Filed July 20, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.4

AT TORNEYS April 20, 1948.

E. R. ZADEIMACHA EQTAL APPARATUS FOR TREATING ARTICLES Filed July 20, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A T TOR/V575 Patented Apr. 20, 1948 Erich R. Zademach, Hillside,

Clarke,

and William W.

Summit, N. 1., nnignors to Metalwuh Machinery Company, Irvington, N. 1., a copartnershlp Application July 20, 1943, Serial No. 495,430

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for treating articles.

In the treatment of certain articles a foamable liquid such as soap solution is pumped from a tank or reservoir through spray units having nozzles which direct the liquid onto the articles being treated after which it is returned to the tank. If the returning liquid or drain is allowed to drop back directly intothe liquid in the tank an objectionable amount of foam is produced as it strikes the surface of the liquid in the tank. This may cause some of the foam to pass into adjoining treating chambers and interfere with other treating operations taking place there.

One object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for handling a foamable liquid in a treating chamber in such a way as to prevent building up of foam.

Another object of the invention is to circulate the solution in the tank so as to effectively mix the soap, which may be in powder form, with the liquid in the tank.

Various other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following particular description, and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly, in section, of that portion of an apparatus in which articles are treated with a foamable liquid while being conveyed through a chamber; and

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the apparatus taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In certain processes, it is desirable to treat articles with a liquid which may foam as a result of the splashing of the liquid when it drops after it is ejected from the spray nozzles. For example, in certain treating processes, articles after being pickled with acid and then rinsed, are sprayed with a solution of soap to neutralize or render passive the metal surfaces of the articles. Articles may also be sprayed with soap for the purpose of lubricating them for a subsequent drawing operation. As an example of the specific application of the apparatus of the present invention, this apparatus may be used to treat metal projectile cartridge cases between successive drawing operations. After a metal cartridge case has been subjected to a preliminary drawing operation, it may be treated to the successive steps of annealing, pickling, rinsing and neutralizing with soap the metal surface of the article.

Referring to the drawings, there is provided a treating chamber Ill through which the articles to be treated are continuously conveyed while they are being subjected to the different processlug-actions of the respective units in said chamher. The drawings show merely the unit in which the articles are subjected to the action of foamable liquid such as a soap solution for any purpose, such as that above indicated. These articles may, for example, be placed in a suitabl openwork basket, container or holder, and carried through the chamber II by means of a suitable conveyor system II. This conveyor system is shown comprising a series of rolls l2 supported in suitable bearings l3, and positively driven by any suitable means such as a chain drive, not shown, to cause the articles to be moved from one roller to another successively along the chamber ll.

Disposed below the chamber III is a sump tank I! adapted to contain the soap solution It. This tank is is desirably long enough in the longitudinal direction of the chamber Ill so as to extend beyond the ends of the soap spray devices to be described, as shown in Fig. 1, and has an extension ll, Fig. 2, beyond one side of the chamber to afford easy access to the interior of said tank. To permit access to the interior of the sump tank It, the extension ll of said tank has a top cover 20 which may be removable from or hinged to said tank, and which is provided with suitable handles 22 for convenient manipulation, only one handle being shown.

For subjecting the articles to the neutralizing action of the soap solution ID as said articles are conveyed through the treating chamber l0, there is provided a spray device which is shown comprising one or more spray units 23 above the course of travel of the articles, and one or more spray units 24' below this course of travel. As an example. two upper spray units 23 and two lower spray units 24 are shown spaced along the chamber l0. Each of the upper spray units 23 includes a manifold pipe 25 extending in the chamber l0 transversely of the conveyor travel of the articles, and a series of spray nozzles 26 extending along the bottom of the manifold pipe ,25 and adapted to spray the soap solution downwardly on the articles in the form of a thin continuous curtain stream 21.

Each of the lower sprayunits 24 includes a manifold pipe 25a disposed substantially centrally between adjoining conveyor rolls l2, and having a series of spray nozzles 26a along the top thereof adapted to project the soap solution l6 upwardly in the form of a thin continuous curtain stream 21a. In this manner, as the article isconveyed through the chamber l0, it is first subjected to the successive action of the lower spray units 24,

there is provided a pump 30 driven from a motor.

or any other suitable source of power, and shown merely as an example, of the centrifugal type. The inlet side of this pump has a pipe 3| extending through the side wall 32 of the sump tank i5 into the interior thereof near the bottom, and

connects at its inlet end to a filter 33, which may be of the wire mesh type. This pump inlet pipe 3| may have a valve 34 with a handle 35 extending above the normal liquid level to render said handle easily accessible for manipulation of the valve. 1

Connected to the outlet of the pump 33 is a pipe 36 having a branch connection 31 adapted to feed the lower manifold pipes a, and a branch pipe 38 adapted to feed the upper manifold pipes 25. Valves 40 and 4| in the branch connections 31 and 38 respectively, may-be provided to control the force of the sprays.

The sump tank I5 is disposed beneath the spray units 23 and 24 in position to receive the drain of soap solution from said spray units. If this drain is permitted to drop freely and vertically on the upper surface of the soap solution iii, the resultant impact and agitation of this solution will create foam, and will produce the adverse effects previously referred to. As a feature of the present invention, the drainage of the soap solution into the sump tank I6 is carried out by a bailie conduit arrangement which reduces agitation of the soap solution H5 in the tank i5, due to drainage, to a minimum. This bailie conduit means desirably comprises a chute or channel portion 45 disposed directly underneath the spray units 23 and 24 below the conveyor rolls i2 and inclined downwardly towards the soap solution IS with a gradual slope. This channel. 45 has a, width substantially coextensive with the width of the treating chamber l0. Directly below the lower discharge end of the channel 45 in the sump tank I6 is disposed a second channel portion 46 a little wider than the upper channel 45 to receive said discharge end, and gradually inclined downwardly in a direction opposite to the inclination of said upper channel 45. The discharge end of this second channel 46 extends below the top level of the soap solution it. In this manner, the drain from the spray units 23 and 24 drops onto the channel 45, and is conveyed therealong at a comparatively low speed until it is discharged onto the lower channel 46, along which it is conveyed to join the body of soap solution IS. The reversal in direction of fiow afforded by the lower channel 46 reduces the speed of the drain discharged from the upper channel 45, and thereby reduces the impact with which the soap drain joins the main body of soap solution I 6 in the sump tank l5, and accordingly minimizes agitation of said solution.

The drain as it travels along the flat wide bottoms of the channels 45 and 46 is spread thereover as a thin film, so that any foam bubbles resulting from the impact of this drain on these plane channel bottoms are broken up before said drain reaches the main pool I6 of liquid soap.

Although two channels or troughs 45 and 46 are shown angularly arranged acutely to discharge the drain into the sump tank l6, as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, a single channel may be provided for that purpose. For example, if the length of the sump tank I! permits, the channel 45 may be extended so that its discharge end is submerged into the body of soap solution it.

To assure intimate mixture of the soap solution It with minimum of agitation, the pump outlet pipe 36 has a, third branch 43, which is returned into the interior of the tank I, and which has an end discharge pipe connection 50 inclined with respect to the bottom of said tank, so that a steady stream of liquid is discharged from said pipe 50 obliquely with respect to this bottom with sufllcient force to create an internal current in the body of liquid serving to effectively mix the soap which may be in powdered form with the liquid in the tank. A valve 5| may be provided in this :branch pipe 48;

We have described what we believe to be the best embodiments of our invention. We do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what we desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for applying a foamable liquid to an article disposed within the same, a sump tank, open at the top and with spaced sides for containing the foamable liquid at a predetermined level therein, a support for the article above the sump tank and the foamable liquid, a spray device for applying liquid to the article upon said support, pump means for drawing the liquid from the tank and delivering it to the spray device and heme means over the top of the sump tank for preventing the direct return of the sprayed liquid to the liquid level of the tank and for conveying the same thereto with the minimum of impact, said baffle means including a. downwardly inclined portion extending from one side of the tank to a point well beyond the middle of the tank and covering substantially all of the tank top and the liquid body therein, and a second downwardly inclined portion extending from the first mentioned portion to a point beneath the liquid level in the tank for carrying the collected liquid to the liquid body.

2. In an apparatus for applying a foamable liquid to an article disposed within the same, a sump tank, open at the top and with spaced side walls, for containing the foamable liquid at a predetermined level therein, a support for the article above the sump tank and the foamable liquid, a spray device for applying liquid to the article upon said support, pump means for drawing the liquid from the tank and delivering it to the spray device, and bailie means over the top of the sump tank for preventing the direct return of the sprayed liquid to the liquid level of the tank and for conveying the same thereto with the minimum of impact, said baffle means including a downwardly inclined channel extending from one side wall of the tank to a point well beyond the middle of the tank and covering substantially all of the tank top and the liquid body therein, and a second inclined channel beneath the first channel and extending downwardly from the other side wall of the tank to a point in the tank below the liquid level and near to the middle of tank whereby to conduct the sprayed liquid leaving the first channel to the liquid body.

3. In an apparatus for applying a foamable liquid, a spray device, a sump tank disposed directly below the spray device, and open top conduit means below said spray device in position to reliquid with minimum of agitation.

4. In an amzaratus for applying a foamable liquid, the combination comprising-a'spray device, a single sump tank having spaced side walls, and a pair of superimposed baflle conduits vertically aligned with the surface of the liquid within said tank and inclined in opposite directions, the upper conduit extending from one side of the tank to a point well beyond the middle of the tank and adapted to intercept substantially all of the drain from said spray device which is aimed at the top surface of the liquid to convey it along an angu- 1&1 course onto the lower conduit, said lower conduit extending from the opposite side to a point below any substantial distance above the main body 01 liquid in said tank, whereby rioaming oi the liquid in said tank is materially reduced.

5. In an apparatus for treating articles with foamabie liquid, the combination comprising a spray device, a sump tank below said spray device for containing a body of the Ioamable liquid and inclined baiiie conduit means within said tank and below said spray device and extending above the suriaci oi the liquid from one side of the tank inwardly to the opposite side thereof for collecting the drain from said device and conveying itaiong a sloping course towards said body oi liqsaid conduit means having its dischargeeng 40 1,827,876

1 6 adapted to extend to a region below any substantial distance above said body of the liquid.

6. In an apparatus for applying a. foamable liquid, a spray device, a single sump tank disposed directly below the spray device and in position to receive all or the drain from said spray device, and conduit means for collecting and carrying the drain from said spray device to the body of liquid in said tank, said conduit means comprising a chute in said tank inclined downwardly in one direction towards the interior of the tank, and disposed in position to receive all of the drain from said spray device, and a second chute inclined downwardly in an opposite direction but in substantially the same plane and extending below the discharge end of said first chute to the interior of said tank for discharge into the body of liquid, said second chute being in position to receive all of the discharge from said first chute for delivery to the body of liquid in said tank but being out of the range of the spray device, so that said second chute does not receive any of the drain from said spray device except through the medium of said first chute, whereby all of the drain from said spray device has to traverse both of said chutes in series before reaching the body of the liquid in said tank.

ERICH R. ZADEMACH. ,WILLIAM W. CLARKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 512,683 Cochrane Jan. 16, 1894 804,675 Roberts Nov. 14, 1905 1,692,286 Brogdon Nov. 20, 1928 Lang- Oct. 20, 1931 

